Chair with moving seat and mirror

ABSTRACT

A chair construction in which a rotating seat causes concomitant counterrotation of a mirror. The chair includes a stationary leg supported frame, a seat rotatably mounted to the frame and a mirror support arm and mirror pivotally mounted to the frame and caused to undergo pivotal motion responsive to the rotation of the seat. The parts forming the chair construction are readily assembled when supplied in kit form.

United States Patent [191 Sim jian 14 1 Apr. 23, 1974 1 CHAIR WITHMOVING SEAT AND MIRROR [76] Inventor: Luther G. Simjian, 7 Laurel Ln.,

Greenwich, Conn. 06830 22 Filed: Feb. 20, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 333,758

[52] US. Cl 297/185, 297/349, 350/305 [51] Int. Cl. A47c 7/62 [58] Fieldof Search 297/185, 349, 240; 350/305; 248/425; 108/139 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 826,917 7/1906 Bedell 297/349 2,510,3516/1950 Simjian 297/185 UX 2,811,083 10/1957 Simjian 297/185 X 2,897,7278/1959 Simjian 350/305 3,004,571 10/1961 Gerbrandt... 108/139 X3,043,622 7/1962 Milner 297/240 3,131,968 5/1964 Alt 297/185 PrimaryExaminer.lames T. McCall [57] ABSTRACT A chair construction in which arotating seat causes concomitant counterrotation of a mirror. The chairincludes a stationary leg supported frame, a seat rotatably mounted tothe frame and a mirror support arm and mirror pivotally mounted to theframe and caused to undergo pivotal motion responsive to the rotation ofthe seat. The parts forming the chair construction are readily assembledwhen supplied in kit form.

12 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures awe-seesaw PATENTEBAPR 23 I974 SHEET 3 [IF3 CHAIR WITH MOVING SEAT AND MIRROR BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention is related to a chair construction having a mirror mounted formovement with the chair seat in coordinated manner. Chairs of this typehave been disclosed in my earlier patents, specifically in U.S. Pat. No.2,218,301 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,218,302 dated Oct. 15, 1940; U.S. Pat. No.2,510,351 dated June 6, 1950; U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,083 dated Oct. 29,1957; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,897,727 dated Aug. 4, 1959.

These patents reveal a chair construction in which a rotating seat isadapted to rotate a mirror carried by the chair so that a personoccupying the seat of the chair may adjust the mirror relatively to astationary cooperating mirror. Chairs of this particular type are usedby women to aid them in adjusting their hair and dress, as those skilledin the art will fully appreciate.

While, as stated above, I have previously conceived and developed anumber of constructions embodied in chairs of the particular class, Ihave directed my recent effort toward the development of a simpler andless expensive chair construction. Particularly, I aimed at and haveachieved now a chair construction which lends it self to kit form, thatis, the parts can be distributed in kit form via mail order channels andthen assembled by the recipient using a minimum of skill and tools, andfollowing only simple directions. In this manner, the chair is moreadapted for mass distribution, is less expensive in reaching the userand has several other advantages not previously achieved. The individualparts providing in combination the new chair construction are relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, are light for shipment, yet sturdy andrugged to support a person.

I have thus outlined broadly the more important features of my inventionin order that the detailed description thereof which follows may bebetter understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may bebetter appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of myinvention that will be described hereinafter and which will form thesubject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the concept on which my disclosure is based may readilybe utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures forcarrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is aperspective side and top view of the chair and mirror assembled for use;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the chair withmirror attached to chair;

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3a is a sectional view along line 3a-3a in FIG. 3 showing the legattachment;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view along line 4-4 in FIG. 2:

FIG. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, along line 5-5 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded elevational view. partly in section. showing thechair construction;

FIG. 7 is a plan view along line 7-7 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view along line 8-8 in FIG. 6, and

FIG. 9 is an elevational view, partly in section, along line 9--9 inFIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to thefigures and FIG. 1 in particular, numeral 12 identifies a chair seat,adapted to rotate upon a leg supported frame, not visible in FIG. 1. Amirror 14 fastened to a U-shaped support 16 is adapted to be adjusted inheight, as is indicated by the double headed arror 18. The mirrorsupport 16 is coupled to the seat and frame to cause upon rotation ofthe seat 12 a concomitant counterrotation of the mirror support 16 andmirror 14, indicated by the double headed arrow 20.

Referring now to the other figures and FIGS. 2, 3, 6 and 7 inparticular, a four cornered frame 22 is supported by a set of legs 24which are removably mounted to the frame by a respective bolt 26 and nutas shown in FIG. 3a. The frame, most suitably a metal stamping or thincasting, is provided with a circular vertical ridge portion 28 whichtoward the center continues as a cylindrical vertically disposed sidewall 30 and a centrally disposed circular aperture. The frame 22includes also a peripheral, generally horizontally disposed, flange 32which serves for stiffening the frame and is used also, in part, foranother purpose as will be more clearly apparent later.

The seat comprises upholstery 12A which is supported on a dish shapedmetal plate 123. One longer stud 34 and two shorter studs 36 are securedthrough corresponding equidistantly spaced holes in the seat plate 128and then fitted with a respective mushroom shaped low friction bushing38, the stud penetrating through the central aperture of the associatedbushing. The bushings, most suitably, are made of Nylon or Teflon orother low friction polymeric plastic material. The center of the studsis located in a circle and the bushings 38 are disposed and shaped insuch a manner that the flat upper side of the head is in contact withthe underside of the plate 128 and the curved side of the head of thebushing is adapted to engage the crest of the ridge 28, and that theside of the bushing is in sliding rolling contact with the cylindricalside wall 30 of the frame 22. Hence, the bushings 38 serve as spacingand bearing means between the seat and frame. A flat washer 40 andlocking nut 42 are used on the shank of each stud to secure the seat 12against the frame 22. However, as will be noted, the seat by virtue ofthe bushings is rotatable relative to thecentral axis of the frame, thisaxis being defined by the center of the circular aperture in the frame.

A V-shaped bracket 44 is mounted to the side of the frame 22 causing theapex of the bracket to extend outwardly from the center of the frame 22in a direction which is considered the front of the chair. A mirrorsupport arm 46 has a generally horizontal and a continuing verticalportion, see FIGS. 2 and 6. The front end of the horizontal portion ofthe arm terminates in a nose shaped portion 48 having an aperture. Ahinge pin 50 pivotally secures the nose shaped portion 48 of the arm 46to the bracket 44 using a washer 52 and lock nut 54. A slotted cam isscrew mounted upon the horizontal portion of the arm 46 at a pointintermediate the central axis of the frame and the pivotal attachment ofthe arm 46. The stud 34 is sufficiently long to engage the slot 62 ofthe cam 60, the stud acting as a driving pin. The driving pin,therefore, pivots the arm 46 disposed underneath the seat about the pin50 responsive to rotation of the seat 12. The shape of the slot 62 andthe purpose of its widening at one end has been described in detail inU.S. Pat. No. 2,510,351 supra.

A stabilizing means is used to support and stabilize the mirror supportarm along its pivotal motion. The stabilizing means includes, in part, ahorizontal rod or tube 64 fastened through a hole in the arm 46 and apair of slotted upstanding guides 68, made preferably of low frictionpolymeric thermoplastic material. The slots of the guides 68 engage theflanged portion 32 of the frame 22, see FIGS. 2, 8 and 9.

The vertical portion of the mirror support arm 46 terminates in a flange70 having two holes 72. A plate 74 having two matching apertures 76 issecured over the flange and the legs of the U-shaped mirror support 16pass through the apertures 72 and 76. At least one of the holes 76 is ofoblong shape and narrowed at one end to lock by friction the U-shapedlegs of the mirror support when the legs are spread, but to permitvertical sliding motion of the support for adjusting the mirror heightwhen the legs of the support are manually urged toward each other. Inthis manner the height of the mirror is adjusted for the height of arespective person.

lt will be apparent that the above described construction ischaracterized by extreme simplicity and that the parts can be assembledeasily and conveniently without special tools and skills. Hence, animproved and simplified arrangement has been achieved which constitutesa significant advance in the art.

I claim:

1. An article of the type described comprising in combination:

a leg supported flanged chair frame having a circular central aperturewith a ridge portion adjacent said aperture;

a seat;

a plurality of bearing bushings;

means mounting said bushings to said seat for causing said bushings toengage said frame at the top and side of said ridge portion andextending into said aperture and including means for gripping said framewhereby to retain said seat rotatable about its central axis inoverlying relation to said frame and substantially concentric with saidaperture;

a bracket fastened to said frame and extending outwardly from said frameand central axis;

a mirror support arm having a horizontal portion disposed underneathsaid frame and a continuing vertical portion directed upwardly beyondsaid seat;

pivot means mounting the end of said horizontal portion to said bracket;

a cam mounted to said horizontal portion at a location intermediate saidpivot means and said central axis when said horizontal arm portion isdisposed in its central position, being intersected by said centralaxis;

a drive pin fixed to said seat and extending downwardly for engaging anaperture in said cam whereby said pin pivots said arm responsive torotation of said seat, and

support and stabilizing means fastened to said arm and slidably engagingthe flanged part of said frame for stabilizing said mirror support arm.

2. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 1, saidframe being formed of sheet metal.

3. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 1, theside of said ridge portion engaged by said bushings being of cylindricalshape.

4. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 3, saidbearing bushings being made of low friction polymeric plastic material;said means mounting said bushings including a plurality of studs, eachstud extending through the center of a respective bushing, and eachbushing adapted, to rotate.

5. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 4, saidbearing bushings being equidistantly spaced along a circle correspondingto said central aperture and said cylindrically shaped side of saidridge portion.

6. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 4, one ofsaid studs forming also said drive pin.

7. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 1, theflanged portion of said frame extending substantially horizontallyoutward from said frame.

8. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 7, saidsupport and stabilizing means including a pair of spaced slotted guides,the slots engaging said flanged portion and sliding therealongresponsive to rotation of said seat.

9. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 4, saidbearing bushings being of mushroom type configuration, the head portionof said bushings providing spacing between the underside of said seatand the top of said ridge portion and interposing a low frictionalbearing surface.

10. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 9, amirror mounted to a U-shaped support, and means coupling said support inextensible relation to said arm at its end remote from said pivotalmountmg.

11. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 10, saidU-shaped support passing through a pair of apertures, one aperture foreach leg of said U- shaped support, and at least one of said aperturesbeing oblong and shaped for locking said support whereby to arrestvertical motion of said mirror support.

12. An article of the type described comprising in combination:

a leg supported flanged chair frame having a circular central aperturewith a ridge portion adjacent said aperture;

a seat;

a plurality of bearing bushings made of low friction material;

stud means fastened to said seat for mounting said bushings in fixedradial spacing to said seat and causing said bushings to engage saidframe at the top and side of ridge portion adjoining said aperture, andincluding means for securing said frame to said seat, whereby to retainsaid seat rotatable about its central axis in overlying relation to saidframe and spaced in fixed relation from the ridge portion of said frame;

a bracket fastened to said frame and extending outwardly from said frameand central axis of said seat;

a mirror support arm having a horizontal portion disposed underneathsaid frame and a continuing vertical portion directed upwardly beyondsaid seat;

said cam for rotating said arm about its pivotal mounting responsive torotation of said seat, and support and stabilizing means fastened tosaid arm and slidably engaging a flanged portion of said frame forstabilizing said support arm while undergoing rotation.

1. An article of the type described comprising in combination: a legsupported flanged chair frame having a circular central aperture with aridge portion adjacent said aperture; a seat; a plurality of bearingbushings; means mounting said bushings to said seat for causing saidbushings to engage said frame at the top and side of said ridge portionand extending into said aperture and including means for gripping saidframe whereby to retain said seat rotatable about its central axis inoverlying relation to said frame and substantially concentric with saidaperture; a bracket fastened to said frame and extending outwardly fromsaid frame and central axis; a mirror support arm having a horizontalportion disposed underneath said frame and a continuing vertical portiondirected upwardly beyond said seat; pivot means mounting the end of saidhorizontal portion to said bracket; a cam mounted to said horizontalportion at a location intermediate said pivot means and said centralaxis when said horizontal arm portion is disposed in its centralposition, being intersected by said central axis; a drive pin fixed tosaid seat and extending downwardly for engaging an aperture in said camwhereby said pin pivots said arm responsive to rotation of said seat,and support and stabilizing means fastened to said arm and slidablyengaging the flanged part of said frame for stabilizing said mirrorsupport arm.
 2. An article of the type described and as set forth inclaim 1, said frame being formed of sheet metal.
 3. An article of thetype described and as set forth in claim 1, the side of said ridgeportion engaged by said bushings being of cylindrical shape.
 4. Anarticle of the type described and as set forth in claim 3, said bearingbushings being made of low friction polymeric plastic material; saidmeans mounting said bushings including a plurality of studs, each studextending through the center of a respective bushing, and each bushingadapted to rotate.
 5. An article of the type described and as set forthin claim 4, said bearing bushings being equidistantly spaced along acircle corresponding to said central aperture and said cylindricallyshaped side of said ridge portion.
 6. An article of the type describedand as set forth in claim 4, one of said studs forming also said drivepin.
 7. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim 1,the flanged portion of said frame extending substantially horizontallyoutward from said frame.
 8. An article of the type described and as setforth in claim 7, said support and stabilizing means including a pair ofspaced slotted guides, the slots engaging said flanged portion andsliding therealong responsive to rotation of said seat.
 9. An article ofthe type described and as set forth in claim 4, said bearing bushingsbeing of mushroom type configuration, the head portion of said bushingsproviding spacing between the underside of said seat and the top of saidridge portion and interposing a low frictional bearing surface.
 10. Anarticle of the type described and as set forth in claim 9, a mirrormounted to a U-shaped support, and means coupling said support inextensible relation to said arm at its end remote from said pivotalmounting.
 11. An article of the type described and as set forth in claim10, said U-shaped support passing through a pair of apertures, oneaperture for each leg of said U-shaped support, and at least one of saidapertures being oblong and shaped for locking said support whereby toarrest vertical motion of said mirror support.
 12. An article of thetype described comprising in combination: a leg supported flanged chairframe having a circular central aperture with a ridge portion adjacentsaid aperture; a seat; a plurality of bearing bushings made of lowfriction material; stud means fastened to said seat for mounting saidbushings in fixed radial spacing to said seat and causing said bushingsto engage said frame at the top and side of ridge portion adjoining saidaperture, and including means for securing said frame to said seat,whereby to retain said seat rotatable about its central axis inoverlying relation to said frame and spaced in fixed relation from theridge portion of said frame; a bracket fastened to said frame andextending outwardly from said frame and central axis of said seat; amirror support arm having a horizontal portion disposed underneath saidframe and a continuing vertical portion directed upwardly beyond saidseat; pivot means mounting the end of said horizontal portion of saidarm to said bracket; an apertured cam mounted to said horizontal portionof said arm at a location intermediate said pivotal mounting and saidcentral axis when said horizontal arm portion is disposed in its centralposition, being intersected by said central axis; one of said stud meansextending into the aperture of said cam for rotating said arm about itspivotal mounting responsive to rotation of said seat, and support andstabilizing means fastened to said arm and slidably engaging a flangedportion of said frame for stabilizing said support arm while undergoingrotation.